Device for positioning and immobilizing infants to be x-rayed



Oct. 9, 1951 G. E. CHAPMAN 2,571,011

DEVICE FOR POSITIONING AND IMMOBILIZING INFANTS TO BE X-RAYED Filed Sept. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY W M) ATTO R N EY Oct. 9, 1951 G. E. CHAPMAN 2,571,011

DEVICE FOR POSITIONING AND IMMOBILIZING INFANTS TO BE X-RAYED Filed Sept. 9, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A'i'ToRNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATE DEVLCE FOR POSITIONING AND IMMOBI- I INFANTS TO BE X RAYED George Chapman, Saddle River Township,

Bergen County, N. J., assignor to Smith-Chapman, Inc, Irvington, N. J.., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 9, 1950, Serial No. 184,699

(or. :25il-F50') 11 Claims.

This invention relates to X-ray, fluoroscopic and similar apparatus for photographin and viewing internal body structure. It has been found, in practice, that it is extremely difiicult to make X-ray and fluoroscope examinations of infants, particularly those ranging in age from newborns to the age of sitting-up. Such infants are extremely unstable in their body movements and have presented a serious problem to physicians and nurses desiring to take internal radiographic and/or fluoroscopic views of the thymus. chest, skull, spine, abdomen, etc.

The device of this invention is designed to enable the immobilization of such infants for the purpose mentioned in a manner which will materially reduce the amount of time required for positioning an infant, and will substantially simplify the procedure.

These and other advantageous objects, which will appear from the drawings and from the description hereinafter, are accomplished by the structure of my invention, of which an embodiment is illustrated in the drawings. It will be apparent, from a consideration of said drawings and the following descriptiomthat the invention may be embodied in other forms suggested thereby, and such other forms as come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered within the scope and purview of the instant invention.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention, showing the seat block thereof in dotted lines in the position it would occupy in the use of the device, and in full lines removed from the device but in position for insertion in the supporting plate of the device,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. '1, with the seat block shown positioned therein and showing, in dotted lines, the cassette holder of the device in pivoted position relative to the plane of the upright supporting bar of the device,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2, and showing, in dotted lines, a lower position to which the seat block may be moved, v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary'perspective view, taken on line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thecrotch member used in carrying out the invention,

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a form of seat supporting plate, and a means to engage the same and the bar for positioning the former on the latter relative to the cassette holder,

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a seat block bodying the invention, and

Fi 8 is an enlarged side elevational view of the seat supporting plate shown positioned on the bar, which is indicated fragmenta'rily and in dotted lines.

The drawings illustrate a device for positionin and immobilizing infants embodying the invention in a practical form. It will be apparent that variations may be made in View of the disclosure of the drawings and the following descrip tion. Such variations and modifications are as comprehended "in the scope of the appended claims are to be deemed within the purview of the instant invention.

The device shown in the drawings comprises an elongated upright supporting bar l0 provided with an axial slot H and a cassette'holder 12 secured to said bar and comprising a bottom wall 13 and side walls l4, l5, and meanssuch as bolts 16, I6 passing through slots H, I1 in the bottom wall I3 to adjustably secure the side walls there to. Thus, the side walls may be moved toward and away from each other to accommodate X-ray cassettes of various widths. A seat supporting plate 18 is adapted to be secured to the bar ill in a position which may be predetermined by the user of the device relative to the cassette holder 12 to accommodate infants of various heights and to position the desired body portion in alignment with the cassette holder. A seat block 9 is provided for the seating of the infant, said {block having side walls '20, 21, and end walls 22, 2mm a portion 24 angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the seat block at one of the end walls thereof. The seat block is provided with means such as keys 25, 25a, 25b, on one or more of the side and end walls and on the angular portion thereof to have complementary engagement with the keyway 25 of the plate I8. The cross sections of the keys and keyways are com-' plementary so as to permit the block 19- to be slid into position on the seat supporting plate. For that purpose, the keys may be of T-shaped cross-section and the keyways of C-shaped crosssection (Figs. 4 and 6). The seat block is provided with an internal opening 38, through which the legs of the infant seated on the block may be positioned. To further assist the positioning of the infant, a crotch member 3| (Figs. 5 and 1). is provided, said crotch member having opposite ends 32, 33, of' an outlin complementary to the inner faces of the side walls 20, 2| of the block which define the internal opening thereof. By this arrangement, the crotch member may be slid 3 along the Side walls toward or away from an end wall of the block to position the infant at pre cisely the point desired.

As above noted, the seat supporting plate I8 is adapted to be vertically moved relative to the cassette to thereby fix the position of the seat block on the device; any suitable means engaging the supporting plate l8 and bar H3 may be used to that end. As shown in Fig. 6 (one of many forms useful for the purpose), the supporting plate is provided with a stud 34 fixed at one end to said plate [8 and passing through the slot l l of the bar l0 and projecting therebeyond. The

projecting end 35 of the stud may engage or be engaged by any suitable means to hold the same at the selected position on the bar, as, for ex-,

ample, by providing the stud with threads engaged by the nut member 36 (Figs 6 and 8).

The cassette holder l2 may be rigidly fixed to the bar, or, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, may be pivotally secured thereto as indicated at, 31 (Fig.

2), in which case the cassette holder and bar are provided with means to hold the cassette holder in alignment with the bar, as indicated in Fig. 2 in full lines, or to selectively hold the same in pivoted position at a predetermined angle 38 thereto, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or at other selected positions. To this end, the cassette holder and bar may be provided with interengaging means for use by the operator, as, for example, the arms 39, 40 fixed to the cassette holder, and a long pin passed through both arms and bearings 43, 44, or short pins 4| passing through slots 42 in the bearings 43, 44 fixed to the bar and through the arms 39, 40, said pins being engaged by nut members 46 or the like to thus fix the position of the cassette holder relative to the plane of the bar ID. This feature of pivotal movement of the cassette holder may be provided for the purpose of enabling an angular disposition of the head, for example, of the patient, where that is desirable for special purposes. The device may be further provided with a flexible band 41 having an end 48 fixed to a side wall, as, for example, wall I 5 of the cassette holder by any suitable means, such as the bar 49, and having a free end 50 which may be drawn taut on to the other side wall I 4 of the cassette holder, as, for example, by a winding device 5| or the like. The band will hold the part to be X-rayed close to or in contact with the cassette.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the seat block l9 may be raised or lowered in relation to the cassette holder and may also be positioned at any angle in relation to the cassette holder for posterior, anterior, lateral or oblique views.

The bar Ill may be secured to an X-ray table, wall, fioor or other device in any desired or convenient manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for positioning and immobilizing infants to be X-rayed, comprising an elongated upright supporting bar, a cassette holder secured tosaid bar, a seat supporting plate, means engaging said plate and bar for adjusted positioning of the plate on the bar and relative to the cassette holder, a seat block for holding the infant, said block having an internal opening defined by side and end walls for the legs of the infant, means on one or more of said end and side walls, for selectively engaging complementary means on said supporting plate to position the seat block thereon, and a crotch member having ends to slidably engage the side walls of the seat at opposed spaced points to position the crotch member transversely of the longitudinal axis of the seat for slidable movement relative to an end of the seat, to define therewith a constricted leg opening.

2. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claiml, said means on one or more of said end and side walls comprising an elongated key fixed thereto, said supporting plate having a keyway therein of complementary cross-section to slidably receive the key.

3. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claim 1, said means on one or more of said end and side walls and complementary means on said supporing plate comprising an elongated key of T-shaped cross-section and a keyway of C-shaped cross-section to slidably receive the same.

i. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claim 1, said cassette holder being pivotally secured to the upper end of said bar, complementary means on said cassette holder and bar to hold the cassette holder in alignment with said bar or to selectively hold the same in pivoted position at a predetermined angle thereto.

5., In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claim 1, a flexible band having opposite ends, means on said cassette holder to fix one end of the band thereto, and means on said cassette holder engaging the other end of said band to draw the band taut over the infant positioned on said seat.

6. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claim 1, said crotch memher having opposed ends of outline complementary to that of the inner faces of the side Walls of the seat block.

7. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants as set forth in claim 1, one of the end walls of said seat block having a portion angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis thereof and provided with means to engage the complementary means on the supportin plate to position the seat block thereon at a position determined by said angle.

8. In a device for positioning and supporting infants as set forth in claim 1, the means engaging said plate and bar comprising an axial slot provided in the bar, a stud fixed to the plate at one end and having a free end passing through the bar and projecting therebeyond, and means to hold the free end of the stud on th bar at selected position to thereby fix the position of the seat relative to the cassette holder.

9. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants to be X-rayed, as set forth in claim 1, said cassette holder comprising a bottom and side walls, and means on said bottom and side walls for holding the side walls in selected relatively spaced position to accommodate X-ray cassettes of various sizes.

10. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants to be X-rayed comprising an elongated upright support bar and a, cassette holder secured to said bar, a seat supporting plate secured to said bar, a seat block having side'and end walls'defining an internal opening for the legs of; the infant, and complementary key and keyway means on one or more of said end and side walls and on the supporting plate, to position the seat block thereon at a plane defined by the parallel disposition, with said plate, of the wall of said block engaging said plate.

5 6 11. In a device for positioning and immobilizing infants to be X-rayed comprising an elon- REFERENCES CITED gated upright support bar and a cassette holder The following references are of record in the secured to said bar, a seat block having side and file f this patent:

end walls defining an internal opening for the legs of the infant, and a crotch member having UNITED STATES PATENTS recessed ends to slidably engage the side walls Number Name Date of the seat block at opposed spaced points to 1,475,4 Manger Nov. 27, 1923 position the crotch member transversely of the 1,915,234 Magusin June 1933 longitudinal axis of the seat block for slidable 10 2,111,903 Rona Mar. 22, 1938 movement relative to an end wall thereof to 2,264,410 Schier Dec. 2, 1941 define therewith a constricted leg opening.

GEORGE E. CHAPMAN. 

